Water-heater



Patented July 13, 1920.

IIIIIIIIJ' l WI THE 885 8 A TTORIVE Y8 UNITED srarus DE FOREST L.RATHBONE, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

warns-funerals.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1920.

Application filed January 25, 1919. Serial No. 273,206.

To all IO/L077), it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DE Fonnsr L. RATH- BONE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and Stateof Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlVater-Heaters, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in water heaters, being moreparticularly an improvement in automatic water heaters, and it consistsin the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described andclaimed. 1

The foremost object of my invention is to provide an automatic waterheater which employs live steam as the heating means for the water, thesteam valve being thermostatically controlled by a novel arrangement ofcertain of the heater parts, with th ultimate result that thetemperature of the usable water is kept at a substantially uniformdegree.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic waterheater embodying the features set forth above whereby vcry importantadvantage is derived namely, that the usable water is always ready atthe required temperature and the usual custom of letting the water runfor a certain period, until it becomes hot enough, is entirely avoided.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specificationreference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which: t

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved automatic water heater,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof,

Fig. 3 1s a cross section on the line 8+3 of Fig.2, a

Fig. at is a cross section on the line 4-4; of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating the knife edge pivotbetween the valve lever or bar and the steam tube.

By way .of preface it. may be briefly stated that the herein describedwater heater seeks to overcome the objections and dangers of certainwater heaters now in use. Without describing such water heaters indetail they may be simply referred to as consisting of such arrangementswhere by the steam and water are independently and manually controlled.Occasions have arisen where a person using the heater had forgotten toturn off the steam, with the result that a charge of extremely hot watercollected. The cold water being subse: quently turned on, dischargedthis hot water with the result that the bather became severely scalded.

My invention is so arranged that the temperature of the usable water isalways kept at a uniform degree with no possibility of the abovecontingency happening, this being doneby controlling the steam inletautomatically. Attention is now directed to the drawing wherein in Fig.2 it will be observed first of all that the central expansible and'contractible steam tube 1 is securely anchored in the boss 2 of thecast head 3 atthe bottom.

Any means for anchoring the steam tube 7 can be employed. The tubel isof course hollow but is closed at the upper end to provide a knife edgeor fulcrum 4 which occupies the transverse V-shaped slot 5 in the leveror steam valve controlling bar 6. The bar 6 occupies the housing 7, inwhich the bar is accessible by removal-of suitable closure means at theopen ends. Various adjustments of the bar 6 can'be made by means of theset screw 8 which is locked in its adjustments by the nut 9. The otherend of the bar actuates the steam inlet valve 10.

lVhen the free end of the bar rises in'the event of the longitudinalexpansion of the steam tube 1 the valve 10 is conveyed nearer to theseat 11 in: the steam inlet pipe 12, and so the volume of steam comingin is reduced. The stem 13 of the steam valve slides in a guide 1 1 ofthe spider 15. The.

valve itself is so constructed that the steam can pass it in the valvetube 16 inwhich it slides, H

Referring again to the steam tube 1 and its associated parts, the upperend of the tube is pierced by aseries of holes 17 by means of whichsteam enters the tube from the casing 7. The casing or housing 7 has aneck 18 which terminates in'a flange 19 through which the stay bolts. 20pass. By means of these bolts the flange 21 of the upper head 22 issecured to the housing, suitable collars 23 being fitted "on. the boltsto preserve the spacing between the companion flanges.

The heads 3 and 22 are connected by an outer sleeve or pipe 524, whichnot only defines an air jacket around the heater tube 25 but also joinsthe upper and lower parts of the heater as just stated. The variouspipes 1, 25 and 24: are concentrically disposed as clearly shown inletpipe 26 at the top. Although not illustrated, this pipe will in practicebe provided with a suitable valve. .The pipe screws into the packingcoupling 27 Which includes the gland. 28 through which the tube '1passes. A similar gland 29 pendent from the flange 19 also admitspassage of the tube. i

'l he hotjs'v ater flows out o'l'the pipe 30 that communicates with thechamber 'in the head 3 at the bottom All of the parts of the heater arerigid with the exception oi courseot the bar 6 and valve 10. -The steamtube l is firmly anchored at 'one end and as it"e'xpands longitudinallyby virtue of the lncreas'l'n g temperature 01' the steam passing throughiu thetube acts-on the bar 6 and ad justs the steam valveaccordii'igl'y;

The eperatien will be readily understa d from the foregeing Withoutrepeating it in detail. Briefly stated, hoivever, it is as 61 lows:Normally the steam valve 10 will proba'b'ly be p a rtly open. Steam thuspasses chilled 1 and-- thi'is contracts slightly.

tluiough the. tube The vvatjer :presefit in theheater tube 25 thuskeepsat normaltemperature in the neighborhood oi 130,

WVhen'thecdld water in the pipe 26- is:

l on, she's-beam tube l-is momentarily tur . The steam valve 10 isopened farther and more steam admitted. Thisagaiin increases the tei'irjerature of the-steam tube andtlre Whole generally preferred 01m,

resultant Ed tion is a constant equalizing of temperatures so as toautomatically heuf he usable water discharged at the pipe 30 atsubstantI WVhll-ethe' cdnstruction and arrangement Y w m pe a life;

ic water heater that of a of the automt catidiis *a'nd changes maybeinade ftvithout clep'artln'g from the Y spirit 1 of the inventionsupported an fsaid head and ,of steam dpenil I claim: 1

1.. An automatic water heater, comp'ris ing a hotf ateftlutlet head,heater ictui'e nch ung a ve'tu'be, 'a heater tube cai 'ried "by thes'uppoitiing head with a cold Water at use end, a steam tube aficho'iediin theh'ead and passing 'throiigh theiheater tube to the housing at thetop, said steam tubefterininati'ng in a 'closu'ie pro udlng' a kn feedge and havlng series gs; a valve bariuieumieu on the an edge,

in Fig. 4.. Water, is admitted to the heater tube 25 by the supported atrightangles andv in spaced lationshi-p to the aforesaid flanged head,

1 and out t. the bottom.

the baron the ldifiife edge, sajidfkn'ife e positive contact with thebar in cuinstances,fthusavoiding loss-{o1 I obviously modifi-- said end.

adjusting means bearing ,on

one end of the bar, and a steam valve workmg 111 the valve tubeandbearing on the 'otherjend of the bar, to control a steam inlet-by thelongitudinal expansive movement of the steam tube. V r

2. an automatic ater heater, comprising hollow head, incasing meansapplied to said head, ahanged head supported on said means, a housingwith a neck and flange,

the housing, removable closure means at the 1 ends ofthe housingpermitting access to said bar, ed es-41m means teal-mg on the baradjacent-to its fulciu'm'on said knife edgefa eteam imet 'pipe 'With 'avalve seat, leading into the housing, valve in contact with said bar toeontml the openingand osing oft'he steam inlet the seat.

lfn'strumeiital itiesf Yin" a'utoniatic Water heater for avoiding lostmetion b'etween a heat extensible member and a valve ba lactuatedthereby; comprising in cembination, a ist'eam'conducting tii'bewith a knife edge fulcrum, a valve bar Witha transverse notch ieceifingthe'kfn edge, an'd' 'adjust- I ng on the bar augment to the i ll'li'jl'llin ior "supportmg and i-etalnm and" adjusting; means being inpei'i'na loosening "of pivotal-' sup' orts. I V 41111 automaticWateiifl" steam inlet means with packing *mea s, Water cohducting meansiv ith' o 'aposcd pack cdmlucungmeans passingthrou "rcondueua meansandboth ackmg Ineans, witl'i a pe i'to'rr e end in thesteam inlet means,and adjustable valve contrc'il means operati've'ly mounted on 5. Anautomatic Water heater, comprising bl'e heater tube vuth a cold tensibleh n si-earn who, valved means for 1 steam to said 'cOlld perforations,and con said tube ehd, operative to open amnesia the valve,

" DEFOltESTL.

hot umtei' outlet, a perforate V

